The Big Questions

Good Morning,

Our week with our two 12 year old nephews is over and we already miss the commotion and excitement they brought to each day. Spending time with them reminded me of all the big questions that often remained unanswered in their lives. Why are people vegetarians? How do we know the chicken wanted to die? or How come you will not kill a bug? Often my answers led to more questions. If you will not get rid of a bug then how come you want to get rid of George Bush?

Many times their search for answers could be quite comical, such as the day one of them asked Google why do people kill other people? Some questions do not have answers I explained, and those that did simply led to more questions. For some answers we turned to dictionaries and encyclopedias, others I was left to answer on my own, and i did my best. Ultimately i realized that what I wanted for them i wanted for myself - to be able to live in the mystery itself, and trust in it's creative unfolding. I want them to wrestle with the challenge of living with peace and integrity in a complex and sometimes violent world. I want them to learn to love the questions as much as the answers and not have their tender hearts become tough with the outcomes.

Their endless questions remind again and again of the of the joy and heartbreak that surround us at every moment and remind me to be grateful to be alive in the middle of this vast unknown. As i told them, everyday is not another day to acquire more stuff, to buy more things or figure out how to buy more things. Instead everyday is a chance to learn, to grow, to ask questions and understand that sometimes we must find our own answers.

As they packed their bags on their final day I overheard them saying how smart they thought I was and how they wanted to be smart like that as well. I think in the end they believed I had all the answers, but the truth is that with all their big questions they were teaching me.

Peace and Love, Jim